Guano-distributer.



W. R. GRAVES.

GUANO DISTRIBUTER. APPLICATION FILED MAY 3, 1911.

1,001,197, ,Patehtea Aug. 22, 19 11.

Attorneys insTTnn sTaTns PATENT. onrioa.

WALTER BANSOM GRAVES, OF WELLINGTON, ALABAMA.

GUANO-DISTRIBUTER.

Application filed May 3, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

This invention relates to an improvement in fertilizer distributers.

The primary object of said invention is to provide a distributing devicewhich in the distribution of fertilizer, will properly sift the samebefore it is fed to the main discharge hopper, thus effectuallypreventing the obstructing of said hopper which normally occurs when theguano or other fertilizer is deposited in the same without being sifted.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device supportedabove the usual form ofhopper. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional viewtaken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken onthe line 33 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the manner offorming the screen supporting flange.

In the drawings, 10 designates the ordinary type of hopper which may beof any preferred construction the end walls of said hopper being taperedinwardly. Pivotally secured to the side walls of said hopper are aplurality of supporting arms 11, which arms are bent at the point 12 tolie parallel with the upper edge of the hopper sides, it being notedthat said arms are bent at a point sufliciently above-the edge of theside walls asto permit the supporting arms to swing on their pivots.Supported by said arms is a second hopper 14 which is of substantiallythe same configuration as the lower hopper. This upper hopper 14 isformed of a single piece of sheet metal, being formed with the taperedside and end walls, the upper portion or receiving end of the hopperbeing formed with the straight wall 14. At the point where the straightwall meets the body of the hopper, the hopper is pressed inwardly asshown in Fig. 2 to form the interiorly arranged flange 15 on which issupported a screen or riddle 16, this screen being hingedly connected toone of the end walls of the hopper, the screen thus being readily liftedin order to remove the coarser particles.

The hoppers are rocked in any suitable Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Au 22, 1911.

Serial No. 624,704.

manner, and the fertilizer distributed upon the screen 16 in anyconvenient manner, the rocking of the hoppers effectually sitting thesame and allowing the fine particles to descend into the lower hopper 10from whence they are distributed to the ground. Attention is called tothe fact that by raising andv lowering the hopper 14 with respect to thelower hopper 10, its longitudinal movement will be increasedordiminished. Each of the supports 11 are provided adjacent their endswhich are secured to the hopper 14 with a plurality of apertures 17, thehopper 14 also being provided with apertures lS. A rod 19 extendsthrough the apertures in the members 11 entirely through the hopperpassing through the apertures on the other side of the hopper andextending through the apertures in the corresponding arm arranged onsaid other side. Itwill be seen that the hopper 14 is thus adjustableand when it is desired to restrict the longitudinal movement of thehopper, the pin 19 is removed from the upper aperture and the hopperlowered. This lowering of the hopper preventing too great a movement ofthe hopper 14. It will also be noted that the arms 11 may be secured atvarious points longitudinally of the hopper 1 4, 'thusf'urtherregulating the movement of said hop- Particular attention is called tothe peculiar construction of the hopper 14 and the manner in which thesame is bent inwardly to support the screen or riddle 16. The manyadvantages of a construction of this character will be clearly apparentas it will be noted that hopper 14 will not only be efficient in actionbut the same is of such construction as to be easily and cheaplymanufactured Particular attention is called to the peculiar manner ofadjustably supporting said hopper, said adjustment effectuallyregulating the movement of the hopper. It will be noted that the hopper14 may be quickly and conveniently attached to the main hopper of thedistributer, the operation of the hopper 14 in no way depending upon thepeculiar construction of the main hopper. to the fact that the variousadjustments of the hopper 14 do not require a special construction oflower hopper, the only addition to the lower hopper being the pivotedsupported arms. While the h Attention is also called oppers are shown1'10 as rectangular in the drawings it will be noted that cylindricalhoppers may be used. It will be seen that these arms while permitting amovement of the hopper will restrict the movement of the hopper beyond acertain length this being of particular advantage in the event that thehopper 14 be placed in a main distributing hopper of a length whichwould prevent the end portions of the hopper 14 from contacting with theinner surfaces of the end portions of the main hopper. Attention iscalled to the peculiar manner of supporting the riddle 16, thesupporting structure being an integral part of the hopper. Thisconstruction, while not greatly adding to the expense of the manufactureof the hopper being a great saving of material.

What is claimed is:

1. A fertilizer distributer comprising a main hopper, a second hopperpivotally supported above the first mentioned hopper, a screen arrangedwithin said second hopper, and means for adjusting said second hopper.

2. A fertilizer distributer comprising a plurality of hoppers onearranged within the other, the outer hopper restricting the longitudinalmovement of the inner hopper, a screen supported by said hopper, andmeans for adjusting said inner hopper to vary such movement.

3. A fertilizer distributer consisting of a plurality of hoppers, one ofsaid hoppers being arranged above the other, the upper hopper extendingwithin the first mentioned hopper, a screen supported by said upperhopper, and means for vertically adjusting said upper hopper.

4. A fertilizer distributer comprising a plurality of'hoppers, one ofsaid hoppers being arranged above the other, the discharge end of theupper hopper extending within the lower hopper, a screensupported bysaid upper hopper, arms secured to the lower hopper, said arms pivotallysupporting the upper hopper, and means for vertically adjust-ing saidupper hopper.

5. A fertilizer distributer comprising a pluralityof hoppers, one ofsaid hoppers being arranged above the other,1the. discharge end of theupper hopper extending within the lower hopper, and means for verticallyadjusting said hopper to vary its movements. 7

6. A fertilizer distributer comprising a plurality of hoppers, one ofsaid hoppers being arranged above the other, the discharge end of theupper hopper extending within the lower hopper, a screen supported bysaid upper hopper, a plurality of arms pivotally supported by the lowerhopper,

said arms pivotally supporting the upper hopper, and restricting thelongitudinal movement of the same.

7 A fertilizer distributer comprising a plurality of hoppers, one ofsaid hoppers being arranged above the other, the discharge end of theupper hopper extending within the lower hopper, a screen supported bysaid upper hopper, a plurality of arms pivotally supported by the lowerhopper, said arms pivotally supporting the upper hopper, and restrictingthe longitudinal movement of said upper hopper, and means for adjustingsaid upper hopper on said arms.

8. A fertilizer distributer comprising a main hopper, a second hopper,the discharge end of said second hopper extending within the firstmentioned hopper, said second hopper being formed with an inwardlyextending flange, and a screen supported by said flange. Y

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WALTER RANSOM GRAVES.

Witnesses-z J. G. KIRBY, L. F. KIRBY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissionerv of Patents, Washington, D. C.

